September 25, 2003
PM Christie Meets With US President Bush
Prime Minister Perry Christie had breakfast with US President George Bush yesterday. Over eggs at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, President Bush met with Mr. Christie and other Caribbean leaders to discuss the FTAA, concerns over Haiti and Cuba and the fight against terrorism.
Mr. Christie said he and his counterparts characterised the meeting as a very good one where friends had frank exchanges relevant to their respective countries.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Bahamas has asked U.S. President George W. Bush to establish a military outpost on the chain of islands to give it greater protection, Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie says.
"We requested it to enhance and ensure the safety of America's closest neighbour," Christie told Reuters, citing terrorism as a major threat to the country.
The prime minister expressed his concerns while having breakfast with the U.S. president in New York.
Christie said the request was for a base in Great Inagua, the southern tip of the archipelago of islands southeast of Florida. The Bahamas is a former British colony with a population of about 300,000.
"When a plane takes off from Miami, it is over the Bahamian territory within 10 minutes," he said. The country also needs a military base to prevent the influx of Haitian immigrants and illegal drug-trafficking, he said.
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
The Bahamas relies heavily on the United States for tourism, which brings in 70 percent of the nation's gross domestic product. Eight-five percent of foreign visitors to the islands are from the United States.
Posted by admin at September 25, 2003 11:38 AM